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 Spektacle
Magazine comes from London. It's the size of a magazine and roughly
the shape of a magazine, and, like many magazines, it covers fashion,
design, music, and cutting-edge culture. Spektacle, however, is
better described as a multi-media circus for your home computer.
Forget about your usual supermodel or T&A covers that most magazines
use to get your attention at the newsstand, because the smart
folks at Spektacle have put award-worthy effort into designing
the packaging for their issues. A 9x11 clear plastic sleeve is
sealed with a sticker bearing the the Spektacle logo. Beneath
the sheath is an old 12" record that's been precisely cut into
a partial rectangle/quarter circle shape. (My record was an old
Milli Vanilli LP.) In another carefully placed plastic
pouch inside sits the entire magazine' on a 3" CD.
We still haven't even gotten to the content yet.
Put the tiny CD into your computer and wait a few minutes. You'll
think your computer is about to crash. Before you know it, your
screen has become Spektacle Magazine in all of it's overloading
glory. Every article has its own soundtrack. You might hear the
Chicken Dance song, Monty Python-esque orchestras, and strange
vocal samples while menu items sound like record scratches or
strange percussion instruments. Articles on fashion, music interviews,
and even some very political pieces are as pleasant to look at
as they are to read, and everything is coated with a great sense
of humor. Their own innovative record review section suggests
the proper type of cigarette you should smoke while listening
to the CD, and a rating scale is based on the 'price per listen.'
One can't help but feel that this new magazine format could open
up new doors where paper magazines and web-zines leave off, and
future issues promise to delve even further into the possibilities
of CDROM capabilities with video, audio, and even more interactive
splendor.
 Issue
#2 of Spektacle Magazine will be available by September. The new
issue will mark their American distribution debut and will include
a full-size CDROM and a full-length compilation CD. Spektacle
will be teaming up with Disk-o.com for a magazine co-launch at
Galapagos Art Space on September 6th. (Click
here for details.)
An interview with John Noi, editor of Spektacle:
1. How did Spektacle get started?
Approximately three summers ago in Denver (Colorado), I was at
the Denver Art Museum staring into Damian Hirst's jumbo ash tray
piece. I looked over to Spektacle's Senior Editor Matt Helm and
said, "Yeah dude, wouldn¼t that be cool to do a magazine."
From that point on, I was fixated with the idea and looked at
the different formats, styles and ways of doing a magazine, or
as it may be, just 'zine'.
Part of creating your own magazine requires researching how others
do it and for some strange reason, I was attracted to British
magazines. I picked-up I-D, The Face, Sleazenation, and a few
other titles that have come and gone. Moreover, in looking at
those pages every month, I constantly saw one name mentioned all
the time - Central Saint Martins.
I soon received the Saint Martins prospectus in the post and
looked at what they offered. Wanting to do something new and exciting,
I chose a course I did not know anything about and decided that
was that. One year later, I was standing in front of a British
Immigration Officer explaining that I was doing the MA Fashion
Journalism course at Central Saint Martins and that¼s how I came
to be upon the London scene.
 As
you can imagine, stepping straight into the fashion scene was
quite a shock, especially for someone from Hicksville and for
approximately one year, I never recovered from that shock. It
only came to be that during a three-hour gossip/tutorial session
on Madonna and Posh Spice that I thought to myself "What
the fuck am I doing here?" and set out the plans to make
Spektacle happen outside of the fashion world.
Issue 1 was produced six months later and surprisingly, I have
a distinction in fashion journalism.
2. How many people work on the magazine
with you? (Who's in charge?)
The magazine started off as a duo - me plus a helping hand from
Matt Helm who still lives in Denver. However, since Issue 1, Matt
has gone into deep hiatus working for "The Man". This
makes Spektacle a one-man-band with me doing most of the writing,
layout, photos and programming. However, issue 2 has had an increase
in contributors, making the task of creating features a little
bit easier.
3. Tell us about the philosophy behind
the magazine? Why did you choose to put your magazine on a CDROM?
The philospophy of Spektacle can be explained by the theory of
the double M's: Mods and McSweeney's. Mods have always been a
real influence but not in that clichéd Paul Weller/Brighton
Beach sort-of-way. I've always believed in the original Mod philosophy
of living seven days in one, reading the best books, listening
to the best music and doing it all stylishly whilst consuming
loads of caffeine in the process. Spektacle will often act as
a medium to throw light on the anti-thesis of these ideas as to
encourage others to oppose the vicious and oppressive forces of
slavery MTV has imposed on people's TV sets.
McSweeney's is a literary journal and label started by Dave Eggers
which features some of the best writing in America today. He packages
the journal in clever little ways and has managed to stay out
of your typical literati circles. The last McSweeney's was accompanied
by a CD produced by They Might Be Giants. Who said they
weren't around anymore?
I toyed with the print and web ideas but ended up going with
CD because a) although the Web is free, it's too slow for audio
and video b) print does not allow the added elements of audio
and video c) since the audio, video and content of the magazine
are all digital, we don't kill trees by producing something that's
going to get chucked in the trash d) things that get chucked in
the trash like printed magazines cost a lot of money to produce.
We have been careful of pushing our Website address because so
many people have pigeonholed us as being an Internet thing when
it plainly isn't the case.
4. What's your favorite part of the
upcoming Spektacle issue?
The number of jam-packed tips and techniques to help our readers
win new friends and influence people.
 5.
You guys seem to be pretty big in this 'fashion' thing. When are
YOU going to have a 'Swimsuit Issue'?
Fashion goes hand-in-hand with music and design whether your
talking about Sean John, Anna Sui or Chanel. Although we feature
fashion, it will never be in that "i'm wearing this brand
so I'm cooler that you" way. Style used to be based on how
you put things together not on how much you spent. Living in London,
I've discovered that many fashion designers do not buy into the
high fashion ideal and are genuinely interested in pushing the
envelope.
As for the Spektacle "Swimsuit Issue," we will naturally
be working with Sports Illustrated soon since our readers are
like two peas in a pod. That will happen precisely at that moment
when we break out our baseball lids, err, hats.
6. Do you have a photo you'd like to
share with us of either yourself or > your super-hot girlfriend
in a swimsuit?
Yes, please find a jpeg of one of the many homegirls hanging
out at the Spektacle listening lounge in 100% swimsuit attire.
7. What's up with all those skimpy swimsuits
that European guys wear?
They act as a visual signifier to censor the very body part they
wish to jumbofy. Simply put, it's a visual double entendre revolving
around the same concept as the word 'might'.
8. Do you prefer 'chunky' or 'creamy'?
The new look for autumn/winter 2002 will definitely be chunky.
Pearly globs of Bryll Cream applied to the coiffure and ear lobes
is the quick & easy way to attract little snow queens in cheerleader
jumpers shimmering with silver lip stick smiles.
9. How do you people in England feel
about George W. Bush?
We sit here watching Eastenders hoping that one day there will
be an episode featuring Phil wondering about what Americans think
the British think about George Dubble-yuh Bush and what Bush would
think about if he could charge for TV licenses like they do here
but would think it funny becasue in reality he should be focusing
on jenna to save her from the drinks and drugs. Ideally this episode
would be a tear-jerker.
 10.
How do you people in England feel about Anheiser Busch?
We've heard she is a true lady. Ann, as she likes to be called
in intimate circles, once told me that wrestling is fake and that
a Slim jim between commercial breaks will really stave off the
munchies before dinner time. Slim Jim meat sticks inserted into
freshly opened bottles of Bud bring out the smokey flavour -Spektacle
Snack Tip # 247.
11. What is your secret to staying so
thin?
By avoiding being thick. The Spektacle prescription for thiness=ample
doses of Jean-Paul Sartre, Gauloises and caffeinated beverages
served in porcelain containers.
12. Fill in the blank, James Brown style:
"Good gawd! __________________________________!
I'm gonna _________________________! Huh!"
'"Good gawd! That's my 7th Deep-fried Mars bar in a row!
I'm gonna eat 10 more. Why not? there's too many fools following
too many rules! Huh!"
13. List your top five favorite website
links:
www.brainwashed.com
www.wgsn.com
www.mcsweeneys.net
www.obscurestore.com
www.stereolab.co.uk
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